2016 American Indoor Football season

2016 American Indoor Football season
League	American Indoor Football
Sport	Indoor football
Duration	February 27, 2016 – May 30, 2016
Playoffs
2016 AIF Championship Game

The 2016 American Indoor Football season is the eleventh season of American Indoor Football. The regular season began February 27, 2016, and ends on May 30, 2016. Each team plays a game schedule of varying lengths.

League changes

During the offseason there were several membership changes in the league that saw only four of the nine teams return from the previous season. However, the league would end up starting the season with 18 full member teams, two travel only teams, and one affiliated provisional team.^[1] On March 31, 2016, the AIF also added the Austin Colts from North American Indoor Football but withdrew before their first game.

Relocation

• York Capitals relocated to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and were renamed Central Penn Capitals.^[1]

Leaving teams

• ASI Panthers left league with plans to operate independently and were briefly associated with Supreme Indoor Football.
• Atlanta Sharks folded but were at one point listed on schedules for the Indoor Football Alliance.
• Buffalo Lightning left league and then joined Supreme Indoor Football.
• Cleveland Saints folded but were briefly listed on schedules for the Indoor Football Alliance.
• Saginaw Sting first left the league to restart the Continental Indoor Football League, rejoined AIF when that failed, and then suspended operations for the 2016 season.

Teams added

• Central Florida Jaguars as an expansion team.
• Columbus Lions joined from the recently folded Professional Indoor Football League.
• Corpus Christi Fury joined from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football.
• Florida Tarpons joined from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football.
• Georgia Firebirds as an expansion team.
• Lehigh Valley Steelhawks joined from the recently folded Professional Indoor Football League.
• Myrtle Beach Freedom joined from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football.
• New Mexico Stars joined after being on hiatus, previously were set to be members of Champions Indoor Football.
• Northern Kentucky Nightmare were added as a travel-only team to fill in the schedule after many teams suspended operations just prior to the season.
• Philadelphia Yellow Jackets as an expansion team.
• River City Raiders, formerly known as the St. Louis Attack, joined from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football.
• South Carolina Ravens were added as a travel-only provisional team. They are listed as part of AIF with exhibition games that do not count towards league standings and are planning to be full members in 2017. However, their first game on March 26 against the Savannah Steam was counted as regular season game.
• Triangle Torch as an expansion team.
• West Michigan Ironmen as an expansion team.
• Winston Wildcats as an expansion team.

Teams that folded mid-season

• Atlanta Vultures as an expansion team to replace the departed Atlanta Sharks. Folded mid-season due to lack of usable turf in their home arena.
• Steel City Menace as an expansion team. Originally were going to be named "Mile High Menace" and play in Denver but relocated to Pueblo, Colorado and were renamed. The team folded mid-season after two league road games and not having a home arena.^[2] During their first exhibition home game they wore a local high school's uniform.

Failed expansion teams

• Abilene Warriors were announced as an expansion team but failed to obtain a home arena.^[3]
• Austin Colts were added mid-season from North American Indoor Football as an expansion team^[4] but backed out of their first game less than a week before it was scheduled to be played.
• Louisiana Cottonmouths were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.^[5]
• Marion Blue Racers were added from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football but suspended operations prior to the season.
• Northshore Gators were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.
• Pineywoods Bucks were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.
• Texas Stealth were announced as an expansion team but joined the local North American Indoor Football instead.^[6]

Regular season

2016 AIF North Standings Team W L T PCT PF PA PF (Avg.) PA (Avg.) STK West Michigan Ironmen 5 1 0 .833 364 224 60.7 37.3 W5 Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 5 1 0 .833 333 181 55.5 30.2 L1 River City Raiders 4 1 0 .800 299 191 59.8 38.2 W1 Philadelphia Yellow Jackets 3 1 0 .750 207 123 51.75 30.75 L1 Triangle Torch 3 2 0 .600 231 232 46.2 46.4 W2 Chicago Blitz 2 2 0 .500 133 127 33.25 31.75 L1 Central Penn Capitals 2 4 0 .333 269 309 44.8 51.5 W1 Winston Wildcats 1 5 0 .167 135 300 22.5 50.0 W1 Maryland Eagles 0 1 0 .000 19 49 19.0 49.0 L1 Northern Kentucky Nightmare 0 5 0 .000 116 236 23.2 47.2 L5

2016 AIF South Standings Team W L T PCT PF PA PF (Avg.) PA (Avg.) STK Columbus Lions 6 0 0 1.000 447 131 74.5 21.8 W6 Corpus Christi Fury 2 0 0 1.000 125 59 62.5 29.5 W2 Florida Tarpons 4 1 0 .800 336 180 67.2 36 W1 New Mexico Stars 2 1 0 .667 134 75 44.6 25.0 W1 Georgia Firebirds 3 4 0 .429 236 348 33.7 49.7 L1 Myrtle Beach Freedom 2 3 0 .400 152 237 30.4 47.4 L3 Savannah Steam 2 3 0 .400 165 166 33.0 33.2 L1 Central Florida Jaguars 1 5 0 .167 201 402 33.5 67.0 L1 Atlanta Vultures (folded) 1 2 0 .333 67 135 22.3 45.0 L2 Steel City Menace (folded) 0 2 0 .000 16 81 8.0 40.5 L2

References

1. "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central. March 7, 2016.
2. "Myrtle Beach Freedom hire new coach after ugly split with inaugural one". Myrtle Beach Online. April 19, 2016.
3. "Abilene Warriors pull plug on first game, season". Abilene Reporter-News. March 25, 2016.
4. "Indoor football: Stars take a trip with a new coach". Albuquerque Journal. April 3, 2016.
5. "Cottonmouths Postpone Season". OurSports Central. February 15, 2016.
6. "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central. February 15, 2016.